


The Day

by Karla_Writes



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, SouMako - Freeform, Veterinarian Makoto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 11:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3409598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karla_Writes/pseuds/Karla_Writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's on that day, that Sousuke runs over a dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a super old SouMako Vet AU prompt found [here](http://captain-soumako.tumblr.com/post/95599130308/pimptori-soumako-vet-au-where-sousuke-runs) and written by [papabellamy](http://papabellamy.tumblr.com/post/95489364807/soumako-vet-au-where-sousuke-runs-over-a-cat-or). I'm not entirely happy with this, but it had been sitting in my drafts for months now and I just had to post it. 
> 
> Cross-posted to my tumblr: [orcaliciousity](http://orcaliciousity.tumblr.com/tagged/my%20fic)

The sharp clap of thunder was what roused him from his deep,semi-erotic, dream. Sousuke shifted to his left, stretching his arm out, and frowned when he found the spot was empty. He opened a single eye and took in the dimly lit room. From his spot on the bed he could see a sliver of light coming from the bathroom door, a few feet away from his cozy bed.

Sousuke yawned, tossing his right hand over his eyes, just as a flash of lightning peeked from behind the curtains of the bedroom window. The cries of thunder chased the sporadic flashes in an endless loop as the storm raged on outside.

Days like these reminded Sousuke of The Day.

...

It had started with a storm, much like the one going on today.

“You’re going to get yourself killed, Yamazaki.” The concerned yell of his coworker registered in his ears as he rushed out of the building; umbrella out and ready. He had a meeting with the executive secretary of the man whose company the company he worked for wanted under their belt. It had taken him a month – and a hell of a lot of groveling – for the self-inflated man to agree on sending his secretary to discuss the details of their partnership. Sousuke was not about to let a little rain ruin all his hard-work. 

At a near sprint, Sousuke found his car amidst the same-colored, company-paid-for, regulated, cars. He threw his soaked umbrella and briefcase into the passenger seat, started the engine, and backed away from his parking space.

Even with the heavy rain, the streets were still packed with cars from the evening traffic. The streets blurred as he tried to keep his focus on the road and not on the clock that kept ticking away, taunting him, telling him that he would not make it on time. At the third red light, Sousuke’s attention was diverted to the ringing of his phone. Eyes still on the blaring red light, Sousuke searched his coat pocket until he found his phone.

“What is it?” He said once he managed to answer the call.

“They canceled.” An irritated voice barked back. For a moment, Sousuke wasn’t sure who it was, or perhaps the shock of hearing those words prevented him from wanting to recognize the voice. The light turned green, and yet Sousuke did not move.

“You there, Yamazaki?” A honk rang out from the car behind him.

“Are you….” Sousuke’s hand gripped the phone, knuckles turning white. Another loud honk blared.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Sousuke finally released the break and punched the gas, anger boiling his blood.

“Language, Yamazaki,” Then after a pause, “They said it was too dangerous to be driving around like an idiot, which frankly I can’t help but agree with, and that they’d rather reschedule.”

“They fucking better, right, language, sorry.” Sousuke sighed, “I just… I did not spend all this time kissing that man’s ass for another canceled meeting.” Sousuke grumbled, calming down a bit after hearing those words.

“Look, its late now, so just go home. They say the storm will only get worse, and I don’t need you getting yourself killed before you bag this guy, got it, Yamazaki.” The voice was firm now, giving a direct order.

“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” With that Sousuke hung up the phone and threw it onto the passenger seat. He heaved a sigh, turning the corner of a nearby street to head back toward his home. The streets here were narrow, but deserted because there were few establishments lined up. He grimaced when he set his windshield-wipers to the highest speed, creating an annoying, rhythmic squeak. Just as he rounded a corner, his phone began to ring again. Cursing under his breath, Sousuke’s gaze flickered toward his phone. Perhaps, it was Kagesaki’s secretary calling to inform him of the new date for their meeting. Convincing himself that it was an important call, Sousuke took his eyes off the wet road for a second in order to retrieve his phone.

It happened in the three seconds that he had his eyes down. His car jerked when it hit… something. Sousuke slammed the brakes once he heard the horrific, nauseating, yelp of a dog. He sat frozen in his seat, unable to process what had just occurred. The sound of the pelting rain, thunder, and the irritating squeaking of the wipers swirled in a vicious circle.

Sousuke jumped when his phone rang to life. Ignoring it for the first time in his career, he pushed the car door open and walked out into the rain. He was soaked through to his underwear in seconds, but that didn’t stop him from looking for the innocent victim of his carelessness. Panic rose inside him as he circled his car, not quite prepared to see the worst case scenario his mind kept repeating.

“Oh, shit.” Sousuke hurried to the dark-brown dog that was curled up on the side of the road. The dog blinked up at him, eyes wide and fearful. Sousuke ran a hand through his hair, biting his cheek, unsure of what to do. Thunder rumbled and the sky flashed brightly; the rain coming down in sheets that seemed like they would go on forever.

Without giving it a second thought, or much thought at all, Sousuke carefully picked up the injured dog and moved him into the backseat of his car. It yelped in pain and Sousuke’s heart clenched. He’d never had a dog, or any pets for that matter. He was never at home, so having an animal to depend on him for sustenance and affection was hardly rational. But, he was not heartless, nor was he cruel enough to just ignore the poor stray he had hurt.

Drowning out everything else except for the dog’s painful whimpers, Sousuke set out to find the closest animal clinic. A task that would prove difficult, what with the rain and the fact that he didn’t even know if there were any animal clinics in this part of the city. 

...

Sousuke thanked every deity that could possibly exist, or at least the ones he’d heard of. It had taken him ten minutes to find the local animal clinic, which was a small, unimposing building with a large, blue sign that read Pet Hospital in white.

With steady hands, Sousuke carried the whining dog out of his backseat and into the front door of the Pet Hospital. The rain soaked them both again before they made it into the shelter of the building.

“I need help.” Sousuke breathed out, watching as the shocked receptionist stood from behind her desk.

“Oh my… Sensei!” The woman yelled out, running to Sousuke’s side. Her eyes roamed over the dog’s shivering body. Then, from a door to the right of the reception desk, a tall brunet emerged. The man was in front of him in an instant, speaking in quick, clipped words with the woman. Sousuke could barely understand what the man was saying, far too wrapped up in all of what had just occurred.

The man was speaking to him then, but Sousuke could not hear him.

“You have to let her go, sir.” The man’s voice finally broke through the foggy state he was in. Sousuke realized that the woman had brought over what looked like a gurney.

“Please put her down gently here, sir.” The brunet said, patting the white sheets covering the gurney. Sousuke willed his trembling away – when had he began shaking? – and carefully placed the dog on the bed before they wheeled it away.

After he was left alone, Sousuke dropped down on one of the waiting chairs. His shoulders slumped forward, his head coming to rest on his hands. He stayed like that for what seemed like hours, still, silent, listening to his own breathing and the angry claps of thunder from the storm.

“Sir?” The soft voice caused his head to snap up. The brunette was back, and was smiling down at him.

“Is it…is the dog alright?”

Relief washed over Sousuke when the brunet nodded.

“She’ll be just fine. Her left leg was fractured, but it will recover with time and rest. She’s malnourished, though,” The man paused, frowning slightly, “She’ll need time, but she’ll make it.”

The impulse was too strong to ignore, and Sousuke let his body move on its own. The brunet froze as Sousuke jumped up and pulled him into a hug.

“Thank you.” Sousuke breathed out.

“A-ah, th-there’s really no need to…” The man shifted from one leg to the other, back as rigid as a plank.

Sousuke jerked back when he realized what he’d done. He thought the brunet might be upset with his sudden hug, but he found the other was smiling, his cheeks tinged pink.

“Oh, if you don’t mind me asking,” The brunet began, “What happened, exactly?”

Sousuke sighed as he rubbed a hand through his face, and sat down. As best as he could, and with guilt eating at his insides, Sousuke told the man how he’d come to run over the poor dog.

“You brought her in when someone else might have just kept driving. You aren’t the terrible person you’re making yourself out to be. She’s alive, will have a dry place to rest during the storm, she’ll eat to her heart’s content, and might get a good home in a couple of weeks.” Sousuke looked up when he felt a hand pat his shoulder. The man’s green eyes were clear and honest, there was no sign of reproach or disgust.

“Is there any way I can help?” The words rushed out of his mouth before he gave them a second thought.

The man’s eyes clearly showed the immense surprise that question caused him. A moment of silence later, and Sousuke wanted the ground to swallow him up.

“If you could, then yes.” The man finally said, brilliant smile lighting up his face.

Really, if Sousuke were to say that he’d been screwed from the moment he saw that smile, it would have been a gross understatement.

...

From that day on, and whenever his job allowed him, Sousuke spent his time as an official volunteer for the Pet Hospital. He was one of five other volunteers, all of which were half his age, and helped maintain the small kennel attached to the clinic. Having never been a pet-owner himself, Sousuke found it a little difficult to interact with the skittish animals at first. Except, of course, for the gentle dog he’d nearly killed. He’d expected the dog to hold some sort of ill-feeling toward him, but had found his hands and face covered in slobbery doggy kisses the first time he’d been allowed to care for her.

Makoto Tachibana, the calm and composed resident veterinary of Pet Hospital, and he got along far better than Sousuke had hoped, not that he’d been _hoping_ to catch the man’s eyes. In-between the bustling activity of the clinic and Sousuke’s stress-inducing corporate job, they found the time to slowly get to know each other. The man’s nurturing nature drove him to look for a career in which he could help the most needy, and with a history of picking up strays right and left as a child – and often times a teenager – he easily found his toward his current job. For his part, Sousuke was quick to explain how he’d ended up joining the corporate masses after a short-lived career as a swimming athlete. He was met with a comforting hand on his knee and soft words when he’d revealed that an injury had been the cause of his early, and bitter, retirement.

After that day their meetings became more intimate and private.

The door to the bathroom door opened with a soft click. Sousuke sat up, eyes meeting the beautiful brunet that emerged from the bathroom, hair ridiculously disheveled and dressed only in boxers and a shirt Sousuke recognized as his.

“Did I wake you up?” Makoto asked after a yawn. Sousuke shook his head, motioning to the storm outside, before patting the empty side of the bed.

“We still have, what? Two more hours, at least.” Sousuke said as the man climbed in next to him.

“And, Emi-chan?” Emi-chan was the name Makoto had chosen for the dog Sousuke had encountered that night, and the dog that Sousuke eventually took in after becoming enamored with her.

“Either under the bed, or in the closet. When it gets this loud, she’d rather be hiding away somewhere.”

Makoto hummed, leaning against Sousuke’s side, clearly still sleepy. Sousuke stifled a laugh as he lay down, pulling Makoto down with him.

“M’not that tired.” Makoto mumbled against his chest.

It was silent after that, the rain outside continuing on without stop, seeming as if it could go on forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
